39 



pleasant, acid taste, and are frequently made use of by hunters to 

 allay thirst; and they form in decoction a grateful and refrigerant 

 drink in fevers. 



The Bignonia like Catalpa (Catalpa Bigonoides) is found growing 

 wild in the parish of St. Landry and other parishes. It is considered 

 a fine shade tree, on account of its large leaves, and is planted for 

 that purpose. Its iiower clusters, which appear in the spring, are 

 large and very showy. Its wood is remarkably light, of a very fine 

 texture, and takes a brilliant polish. Its color is of a grayish white, 

 and when properly seasoned is very durable. It is sometimes used 

 for posts and rural fences, and is employed in cabinet making. If a 

 portion of the bark of the catalpa be removed in the spring, a 

 venomous and offensive odor is exhaled. The bark is considered as 

 possessing tonic and antisepetic properties, and has been used as an 

 antidote for snakebite. The flower and seed are extolled as being a 

 sovereign remedy against asthma. 



The Sassafras tree (Sassafras Officinale) is indigenous to, and grows 

 almost everywhere in the United States. The wood of the young 

 tree is white and tender; but in trees which exceed fifteen to twenty 

 inches in diameter it is of a reddish cast, and of a more compact 

 grain. It is, however, of little value as a timber tree, where strength 

 is the object. But if the wood is stripped of its bark, it resists for a 

 considerable period the progress of decay, and on this account is 

 employed for posts and rails of rural fences. It is also sometimes 

 used for joists and rafters in the construction of houses, and it is 

 said to be secure from the attacks of insects, an advantage attributed 

 to its odor. The wood imparts to wool a very durable orange color. 

 Medicinally, the wood, bark and roots of the sassafras are held in 

 esteem as a stimulant and sodorific. It is used to improve the flavor 

 of more efficient medicines, and to render them more cordial to the 

 stomach. Sassafras pith abounds in mucilaginous matter, which 

 readily dissolves in water. This mucilage is much employed as a 

 soothing application in inflammation of the eyes, and forms a useful 

 and agreeable drink in catarrhal and other diseases. The bark of 

 the root yields a great quantity of essential oil. An agreeable bev- 

 erage is formed with the aid of young shoots, and the root bark, 

 known by the name of "root beer," which forms a salutary and 

 cooling drink during the summer months. 



